Starter for gas-engines.



V. BENDIX.

STARTER FOR GAS ENGINES. APPucmoN FILED 0Ec.a0. x912.

Patented June 22, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

V. BENDIX.

STARTER FOR GAS ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED oc.30. 1912.

Patented June 22, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Mm iii 1 k (m UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VINCENT IBENDIX, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

STARTER For. GAS-ENGINES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, VINCENT BENDIX, a citizen of the United States, residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee,have invented certain new and 7 device of this character. I

Speaking in general terms, my starter comprises a motor of any kind, such as an electric motor capable of operating a retatable driving member adapted to 'coiiperate with a wheel, such as the usual flywheel, driven by the engine, the driving member 'being arranged to be. automatically advanced into cooperative position with the engine wheel when the motor is started and to be automatically withdrawn therefrom when the engine has started. In connection with this construction I may provide an automatic switch controlled by the movements of said membernwhereby after a manuallyoperated switch is actuated to start the motor the movement of the member will cause the automatic switch to be closed and the operator thereby relieved from further operation of the other switch.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my device shown in connection with a wheel driven by the engine such as a fly-wheel and showing an electric motor as the motor; Fig. 2 a detail plan of the pinion or worm wheel; Fig. 3 a view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating a spur gear pinion instead ofthe worm wheel-of Figs. 1 and 2; and Fig. 4 a detail plan view of the pinion of Fig. 3.

In the present instance and by preference the motor is an electric motor, the driving member a worm gear or a pinion, and also the wheel driven by the engine, the fiy-wheel thereof, although it will be understood that my invention in its broader aspect is not to be limited to such motor, gear or pinion or such fly-wheel but that other types of motors and driving connections may be employed and also that the wheelto be driven may be any wheel connected directly or indirectly with the engine so that the movements of the motor and its driving member will start the 611%]116 into operation.

In t e present mstance I have shown two Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 30, 1912. Serial No. 739,168.

types of driving connection between the driving pinion and the engine wheel, Figs. 1 and 2 representing worm gearing and Figs. 3 and 4, spur gearing.

Describing the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the engine wheel which is here intended as the fly-wheel 1 of the engine is provided on its periphery with worm teeth 2. The motor comprises an electric motor 3, which is here shown as having an extended armature shaft 4, such shaft being in the plane of the engine wheel 1 and in proximity thereto. For a portion of its length this armature shaft is provided with spiral threads 5 with which coiiperate corresponding spiral threads in the central opening of the worm wheel or pinion 6 which is adapted to mesh with the teeth 2 of the engine wheel.

The construction and arrangement of the shaft and worm wheel or pinion are such that the latter is capable of an advance movement longitudinal of its shaft upon the initial rotation of such shaft by the electric motor and until the consequent advancement of such worm gear or pinion brings the latter into mesh with the engine wheel whereupon the continued'rotations of the *shaft rotate the worm wheel or pinion and thereby rotate and drive the engine wheel. Just as soon as the engine itself starts on its own power, the excess rotation of the engine wheel as compared with the degree of rotation of the shaft on which the pinion is mounted (which in theparticular instance being described is the armature shaft) will cause the pinion to move -laterally (toward the right in Fig. 1), and to be therebywithdrawn from mesh with the engine wheel and to be retracted to idle or normal position.

The motor may be supported in any suitable manner adjacent the engine wheel and in case the device is used in connection with an automobile engine, as herein intended, such support may be a fixed part of the chassis as'indicated at 7. The outer or free end of the armature shaft is provided with a suitable bearing 8 in the end of any su1table support such as the bracket 9 which is here shown secured to the body of the motor. Still referring to the particular meeha nism herein shown, the motor is provided with two supply circuits, one being manually.

. and prevelgte cuit comprisesthe wires 10 and an interposed manually-operated switch shown diagrammatically at 11. In case the device isv used in connection with an automobile this switch may be placed upon the dash or elsewhere within easy reach of the dr ver. The

automatic circuit comprises the wires 12.

in which is interposed an automatic switch or circuit closer'here shown as of the knife type, including the-stationary pair'of contacts 1-3, 13 and themovable connector blade ,14. This connector blade is one of two arms of a fork (the other being indicated at 15), which are connected to or form a art of a yoke 16 which in turn is carried y the pinion 6 in such manner that the yoke and its connector blade partake of the I ovement only. The connector or arm 14 is provided with an opening 18 which is adapt- I ed to be engaged byv a springcatch 19 whose inner end ifsslightly inturned so as to yieldingly engage .sa1d arm in order to hold the pinion 1n its idle ornormal position shown. in dotted =1ines in Fig. 1 but to permit said pinion to be released and to be advanced whenever the electric motor is operated.

Howeventhiscatch device is not absolutely negilelssary but may, if desired, be dispensed w1 Describing the operation of my starter and assuming that the pinion 6 is in its retracted position shown in dotted lines in F1 1, the first step is the closing of the switch 11 by the driver with the result that the motor 3 is instantly started and its armature shaft 4 rotated. The worm wheel or p n on 6 thereupon moves longitudinally of heshaft, into mesh with the engine wheel and when it is fully in mesh and has reached the end of the threads 5 and abuts against the shoulder 4 it will roiia'te'ginfunison with the armature shaft andfcbjn'sequently drive or rotate tjheengine wheel "1 Inertia of the pinion or friction between it-and the yoke 16 should prevent rotation .of the pinion un-' til it is in mesh, but a slight rotation thereof before it reaches the engine wheel is immaterial. After the startin" of the motor by the pushbutton, the mova le connector-blade 14 Wlll' cooperate with the fixed contacts 13 to close the automatic switch so that the driver or operator may now release the manually operated switch in order to break the circuit which includes the wires 10, the other c rcuit supplying the necessary current to the motor. This condition obtains until the engine starts under its own power from the explosions, whereupon the worm pinion 6.will be withdrawnfrom mesh with the engine" wheel *in the manner heretofore described. "At a predetermined point inthis longitudinal movement of the P1111011 the contact between the fixed contacts 13-and movable connector blade 1i isbrokan and" f thefelectric motor will thereupon cease to operate. When the wormwheel-orpmion returns toits normal position the spring catch 19 will engage the connector blade '14 and hold the pimon in retracted position.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown In inven,

tion embodied in a construction in w ich the teeth on the engine wheel and on the pinion are of the spur type, according to which construction the armature shaft and pinion are arranged in a plane at right angles to the plane of the engine wheel. In these two figures the corresponding parts have the same reference numbers but primed. With the exception of the relative position of .to this stoppage will be caused to be rotate slightly while being advanced until meshing is obtained.

While I prefer the direct gearing between the armature shaft and the englne wheel and between the motor and the sore shaft, as herein shown and described, yet it will be understood that anysuitable indirect gearing or connection may be employed. It will also be understood that the wheel which I have herein referred to as the engine wheel may be the usual fiy-wheel or any wheel driven either directly or indirectly by the engine, including, \for instance, the transmission in case of an automobile.

I claim:

1. A starter for gas engines and the like, comprising in combination with a member operatively connected with the engine, an electric motor including its armature shaft, a screw threaded shaft in line with the armature shaft and driven thereby. a driving mounted on the screw threaded shaft and having means for engaging the latter where- I I by -operation of the motor advances the driving member into engagementwith the engine -member.

2. A starter for gas engines and the like,

comprising, in combination with a toothed wheel operated by the engine, an electric motor having an extended armature shaft,

a pinion mounted thereon for longitudinal and rotary movements relative thereto and adapted to mesh with said wheel, the rotation of the shaft advancing the pinion into mesh with the wheel and the subsequent rotation of the wheel, which exceeds that of comprising, in combination with atoothed wheel operated by. the engine, a driving pinion adapted to cooperate with and drive said wheel, a shaft on which said pinion is arranged to have a longitudinal movement relative thereto, a motor operatively connected with the shaft, a spring catch for yieldingly holding the pinion inretracted position. Y I

5.. A starter for gas engines and the like comprising in combination with a toothed .fly-wheel of the engine, a motor, a driving pmlon operated by the motor and adapted to mesh with and drive said wheel but normally out of engagement therewith, and means whereby relative movement between the motor and pinion automatically moves the latter into driving engagement with the wheel.

6. A starter for gas engines and the like comprising, in combination with a wheel operatively connected with the engine and having worm teeth, a motor, a worm operated by the motor and adapted to mesh with said worm teeth but normally out of engagement therewith, and means whereby relative movement between the motoroand the worm automatically moves the latter into driving engagement with said worm teeth.

7 A starter for gas engines and the like comprising, in combination with a wheel operatively'connected' with the engine and having worm teeth, a motor, a shaft driven by the motor, and a worm mounted in and having screw threaded engagement with the shaft for longitudinal movement relative thereto whereby when the shaft is rotated the worm is automatically moved into mesh with said teeth.

I VINCENT BENDIX. Witnesses ROBERT DOBBERMAN, LOUIS. B. ERWIN. 

